


Can I Borrow A Kiss? I Promise I'll Give It Back

by TakeAWalkOnTheWildside



Series: Shake, Rattle, and Roll [1]
Category: Grease (1978), Riverdale (TV 2017), The Outsiders - All Media Types
Genre: 1950s, 1950s Slang, Action & Romance, Alternate Universe - 1950s, Alternate Universe - Greasers, Bad Boys, Carnival, Drama & Romance, F/M, Gangs, Kissing Booths, Motorcycles, Pop Tate's Chocklit Shoppe, Southside Serpent Jughead Jones, The Outsiders, northsiders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-07
Updated: 2018-03-07
Packaged: 2019-03-28 02:14:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13894095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TakeAWalkOnTheWildside/pseuds/TakeAWalkOnTheWildside
Summary: His jacket was different than the others, not only in that the serpent stitched onto it was two headed, but that on each of the detailed heads was a golden crown.That boy wasn’t just a snake.He was a Basilisk, a king among serpents. She could see it clearly now, from the way his bike was propped up just a little bit further up from the other two, and from the careful way the other two boys flanked him as they walked further into the bustling crowd.





	Can I Borrow A Kiss? I Promise I'll Give It Back

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! I know it has been forever and a day since I last posted, but I am still here and I am still writing. Before I get too far I want to thank each and every one of you that read, reviewed, left kudos, and shared my first story 10 Things I Hate About You. It was truly so amazing to see all the wonderful feedback from that, and it has really made me itch to get writing again. Thank you, thank you, thank you!  
> Anyways, I have had this idea rolling around in my head for a little while now and I have decided it is time to write it out.  
> As of now this will be a short series, and right now I am planning on it being three separate parts. It will depend on my imagination, and lately I have been very inspired.  
> As always tell me how you feel about it!  
> I would also like to extend a special thanks to my girl Jillyzee6 for the kind words, and for beta reading this monster, and for the absolutely amazing banner.   
> One more thing, here is my tumblr, please give a follow if you’d like https://letstakeawalkonthewildside.tumblr.com/
> 
> Many thanks,  
> TAWOTWS
> 
> P.S. there is a playlist for part 1 at the end of the chapter if any one is interested :)

The smell of buttered popcorn filtered through the crowd as people of all ages made their way through the brightly painted stalls. Vendors in tents went about their business as men and women on stilts stepped carefully around clusters of guests. Across from her booth, in a grassy area, Betty saw a clown twisting balloons into small, but complicated animals for a group of children to delight in.

 

Dusk was setting in, painting the early summer sky an array of colors, rivaling the tent covers and flamboyant dressings of the carnival.

 

Resting her chin in her hand Betty let out a soft sigh of wonder as string lights that had been carefully draped all over the grounds were finally illuminated, covering the fairgrounds in a soft yellow glow.

 

It reminded her of the lovely romantic evening she had seen in a picture show with Veronica only a week before.

 

But, the peace would not last, at least not while guests were still wandering to her stall.

She checked her watch for the fifth time in the last thirty minutes.

 

7:30

 

She only had to make it one more half hour before she could close up her booth and join the fray of attendees. She’d be free enjoy the atmosphere of the night. If she was careful enough she would even be able to sneak bit of cotton candy under her mother’s nose.

 

Her mother, unlike her was out in the crowd sweet talking every member of the school board and city council. Polly no doubt was loyally at her side, smiling sweetly and nodding when she was required to.  

 

Despite her current situation, Betty honestly couldn’t say she would want to be in her sisters shoes.

 

Still her own circumstances were not much improved.

 

In only an hour and a half she had kissed nearly five dozen boys from Riverdale and the surrounding tri-county area. Some, even multiple times.

 

It was not that she was some sort tart, that was definitely not the case.

 

Her current situation was owed to her best friend: Veronica Lodge.

 

Riverdale High School’s 15th Annual Charity Carnival had been diligently and painstakingly planned by the girl, as well as by her parents who were this years main sponsors. It was hard work, and it had made for a rather temperamental Veronica at times, but the carnival had gone off without a hitch.

 

Betty smiled softly to herself, remembering the sight of Ronnie fluttering around the student body and even ordering around members of the faculty to ensure that her vision would be realized.

 

The raven haired girl had made it her own sworn duty to ensure that every person in attendance would eat, drink, and ride to their heart's content. Candy, popcorn, and sodas flowed and Betty could hear the screams of joy emanating from the rides at the heart of the park.

 

Only a few moments earlier, the lights on the modest ferris wheel flipped on and it was all Betty could do not to stare at it in both wonder and yearning. Until those dazzling lights had pulled her gaze she had done so well to keep from thinking ill of her friend, but the circumstances of her being trapped behind her bubblegum pink stall was positively tragic.

 

The tables had been turned on her in the most unfortunate of ways. Her own good nature had been used against her almost unfairly by her own best friend.

 

Scanning the crowd she caught the top of the girl in question. She stood with her arms wrapped tenderly around her current beau, and resident golden boy, Archibald Andrews.

 

_ That  _ was the real reason Betty was currently imprisoned behind a sickeningly pink booth with a cardboard cutout of puckered lips nailed to the wooden front.

 

The entire setup had been provided by the RHS drama department and she had to admit that it truly was eye catching.     

 

Unfortunately it had been  _ too _ noticeable for the likes of Betty.

 

The colors drew everyone’s eye, and consequently left her with nearly a jar full of quarters and a set of very tired lips.

 

Somehow, someway Veronica Evonne Lodge, Class President of 1956, had managed to wrangle her into working this year’s annual kissing booth.

 

Not that Betty blamed her for coercing someone into covering for her. Her friend had started dating Archie a mere two months before the carnival was planned to take place. Needless to say when Archie had decided to give her his RHS class ring and ask her to ‘go steady’ with him there was no way she was going to command a kissing booth.

 

After all, no guy wanted  _ their  _ girl necking with anyone else.

 

Enter Betty, Veronicas closest friend.

 

She had agreed to take the bullet and grit her teeth through the hour long shift. However, the stars were not in her favor in the least.

 

Her replacement, Cheryl had cancelled without an explanation at the last minute, and Josie had taken ill only a night beforehand, leaving Betty to sit in the tiny booth for the entire three hour duration.

 

Traffic had begun to slow down as the evening went on, allowing Betty to watch the crowd enjoy the festivities. Although she had never been one for huge crowds or extravagant gatherings, she had to admit that Veronica Lodge knew how to organize an event.

 

Cotton candy machines whirled as mechanical rides buzzed and clicked along the tracks. Betty could just make out the faintest sound of live music playing at the center courtyard, just below the illuminated Ferris wheel. The notes caught on the early summer breeze and were carried to her, making her hum and sway softly to the rhythm of the music from her short wooden stool.

 

Yes, she definitely deserved some cotton candy, or a milkshake from Pop’s. She hadn’t decided quite yet.

 

After all, she had not only kissed nearly sixty young men in the past two and half hours, but she had been nearly felt up twice, and had three wet tongues shoved into her unsuspecting mouth.

 

There had even been one young man attempt to steal the gum right out of her mouth.

She had gone through those situations for a measly 25 cents a piece.

 

Yes, a tall strawberry Pop’s milkshake was in her immediate future.

She only needed to survive the next half hour, then she would be able to escape . Closing up early had been a thought that entered her mind not much earlier, since she was now positive her lips had been on nearly every teenage boy in a ten mile radius.

 

Popping an addition stick of gum into her mouth, she let the cool minty flavor wash over her tongue.

 

A low rumble sounded in the distance, drowning out the sound of the rides and nearby revelers.

 

The motorcycles pull straight up to the red, white, and blue bunting of the entrance. The culprits were only a mere twenty yards away from where Betty was stationed.

 

A small, but brilliant stroke of fear coursed through her at the sight of their leather clad torsos.

 

As they dismounted from their still rumbling bikes there was no mistaking the jade insignia that they each bore.

 

Serpents. Vibrant green, and stitched onto the leather covering each of the three boys backs.

 

One of the boys stood a full head taller than the other two, and Betty could see the white of his teeth as he smiled and shoved the shortest in the group with a laugh. The victim of his teasing took it in stride, and Betty couldn’t help but admire the smooth olive tone of his skin and his closely cut hair.

 

She turned her gaze to the final boy, who only stood grinning softly at the two jokers. His leather jacket shone under the string lights like a thick oil spill. A soft curl of jet black hair swayed in front of his eyes as he pulled out a lighter from his pocket and placed a cigarette between his lips. As he fumbled to return the lighter in to his jacket she caught sight of a small silver hand in his denim pants pocket. He watched the other two in what seemed to be a mixture of fondness and amusement, and Betty began to wonder if they might be brothers, or at least close enough to it.

  
  


She thought back to what she had heard about the Serpents, from her mother, in the halls at school, and even at Pop’s Chock'lit Shoppe.

 

The gang of greasers had a saying, and Betty had heard it mocked by the Soc’s and Jock’s of the school the day before a rumble.

 

“Venom is thicker than Blood” they would say. Betty knew how seriously the greasers took their code, and none took it more gravely than the Serpents.

 

She was jerked form her train of thought as the smoker, formerly concentrated on the two scuffling males, suddenly flicked his heavily lidded eyes to her.

 

The sun had fully set now, but she was sure he could see the faint red glow that covered her face and neck. Even from the entrance, nearly twenty yards from her.

 

Averting her eyes as quickly as she could she began to smooth out the small wrinkles in her skirt. Her fingers itched to dust off her saddle shoes, just so she wouldn’t have to look up at him again.

 

Glancing again, she nearly ducked under the painted wood counter that separated her from the customers. The peeling pink paint, had been flaking onto her light blue dress the entire time she had been trapped there.

 

He was openly staring at her. Between his middle and index fingers he held the cigarette and casually blew out the smoke in her direction. His two friends, who had stopped rough housing, nudged his arm to go forward to the attractions not noticing his current fixation across the lawn. Watching her he tapped his pants pocket lightly, covering the switchblade that was clipped onto it. When her eyes widened slightly she saw him use a thumb push it slightly, deeper into the pocket. The corner of his mouth tilted up as if to say.

 

_ See Princess, I’m not a threat...right now. _

 

The connection was broken as his two friends tugged lightly on the sleeve of his jacket toward the fast music that filtered through the air. He let them drag him along, but not before he flicked the ashes off the end of the cigarette and cocked an eyebrow at her flushing face.

 

As they walked away she noticed something that had not previously caught her attention.

 

His jacket was different than the others, not only in that the serpent stitched onto it was two headed, but that on each of the detailed heads was a golden crown.

 

That boy wasn’t just a snake.

 

He was a Basilisk, a king among serpents. She could see it clearly now, from the way his bike was propped up just a little bit further up from the other two, and from the careful way the other two boys flanked him as they walked further into the bustling crowd.

 

Her mind turned to a poem she had read in english class just the week before.

 

_ For see, my friend goes shaking and white; _

_ He eyes me as the basilisk: _

_ I have turned, it appears, his day to night, _

_ Eclipsing his sun's disk. _

 

She had not enjoyed Robert Browning the moment she first read it, but now she had a new appreciation for the mans words.

 

Setting her shoulders back she took in three careful breaths and checked the clock once more.

 

_ You have this Elizabeth, he’s gone, and you are no coward. _

 

Besides there were only fifteen minutes left for her in the godforsaken booth.

Pacing to the rear of the booth she sat on the small stool once more and peeled her eyes for any more last minutes stragglers.

 

Scanning around the area, her breathe suddenly caught at the sight of a royal blue letterman jacket worn by none other than Reginald Mantle. Horror filled her body, as she realized he was headed toward her.

 

Somehow by the grace of god Mantle and his cronies had missed her booth on their way into the carnival.

 

Betty had thanked the few lucky stars she had in her possession at the time, but now it seemed that her luck was indeed fleeting.

 

Not only had he found her, but he had caught her alone

 

A perfectly horrid smile was plastered onto his face. It was one she knew he probably thought was charming, but in reality it made him look like a sleaze.

 

Panic welled in her, fresh and hot, and it make her suddenly wish that the serpents had not left just yet.  The closer he got the more her hands itched to turn the small wooden OPEN sign on her booth to CLOSED and run as far away as her legs could carry her.

 

So at least to the parking lot.

 

_ Still _ , she thought,  _ that might not be enough to keep him from cornering me for a kiss. _

 

Reggie was a swell guy, sure, he was a football jock and very popular all around. His father owned nearly every car dealership in the county. Which was evidenced by his candy apple red Chevy Bel Air that he raced around in. She had never really had any trouble with Reggie until about a month previous.

 

Josie McCoy had broken up with him with almost no warning, and even less explanation. Since the split he had been looking for a sweet gal to mend his broken heart. Initially he had started in higher circles, perhaps to make Josie green with envy, but when Cheryl Blossom nearly laughed out of her saddle shoes he wisely decided to lower his expectations.

 

At the time, Betty couldn't believe he’d even considered Cheryl, everyone knew she was on a mean streak and had been seeing some mystery person from across town. Still, it made sense that he would at least throw his hat in the ring, since most of the girls at Riverdale High were currently going steady with their beaus.

 

That was how he had narrowed it down to Betty. Polly had been his first target, but Jason Blossom had swooped in before Reggie could even talk her up.

 

From there on out Betty was the lucky girl that caught the eye of Reginald Mantle.

Which he reminded her of multiple times during the interactions that she had not been fortunate enough to avoid.

 

She’d spent the previous two weeks of school circumventing the hallways and eating her lunch in Mr. Phylum’s room just to get even the briefest break from him.

 

Before she had quite grasped the gravity of the situation Veronica had teased her, and joked about her playing hard to get.

 

Now she was the one running operations to ensure that Betty could move around the school nearly unseen.

 

It wasn’t only that he was so insistent, but more how when he  _ did  _ see her a stupid grin would cover his face and he would suggestively nudge any person in his proximity and gesture to her.

 

However, all of those previous issues were mere annoyances compared to the fact that he was at the moment striding up with what look to be a full bank roll of quarters.

 

As quickly as possible she turned and unlatched the door to the stall. She arrived to the front just in time to see Reggie pulled up short by three boys clad in leather jackets.

 

The boy from earlier stood at the head of the group, and Betty could see the remnants of the cigarette from earlier still lit between his long fingers. Their silhouettes were illuminated by a long strand of lights were draped on the trees above them and across the walkway that they occupied.

 

With the additional light Betty was able to study him further. His hair was grease black, just like his jacket. It was long, most likely too long for school dress code, but she still liked it. Part of her wondered how it would look after he had just washed it in the shower.

 

There was a stray curl that swooped gracefully on his forehead that made Betty want to twist it on her finger.

 

She couldn’t see his face as he turned and spoke to Reggie. He walked with casual grace up to the athlete, and although he was nearly half a foot shorter than the Reggie and his buddies he did not seem intimidated in the least.

 

Whatever he was saying, it was not something Reggie was jiving with. He uncrossed his admittedly large arms to lunge at him, but was held back by Moose and Chuck.

 

At the sight of Reggie losing his cool Betty could only gape. Even more so when the King Serpent turned around and gave her a quick wink combined with a quirk of his mouth before turning back to the boys stony faced once more.

 

It could not have lasted for more than a second, but Betty felt something stir inside of her. She wasn’t sure what it was.

 

_ Curiosity? _

 

She put a hand to her chest lightly.

 

_ Lust? _

 

Unthinking she bolted forward toward the conflict, arriving just in time to see the two leaders nose to nose.

 

Reggie was taller and meaner, but it seemed that the shorter greaser boy was tougher, and perhaps crueler.

 

She hadn't realized how close she was to the simmering conflict until the boy spoke at his two friends.

 

“Fangs, Sweet Pea get her out of here, she doesn’t need to see this Soc dick get his ass kicked.”

 

His eyes were glittering black obsidian. Void and lifeless like the sharks she had seen in her biology textbook.

 

Betty could feel the tension in the air, they were aching for a rumble, spoiling for it.

And she could only watch in alarm as Reggie puffed his chest and curled his right hand into a fist.

 

The boys called Fangs and Sweet Pea gently grabbed her shoulders to pull her away from the impending rumble, and they must have felt her tense under their hands because the tall one with the silver rings covering his fingers spoke up.

 

“Jones you're scaring the lady.”

At that the one named Jones whipped his head around and gazed back at her. His expression was torn, between what she could only guess was civility and beating Reggie to a pulp.

 

Slowly he turned back to Reggie before clasping a firm hand on his shoulder and pulling him close so that his mouth was next to his ear.

 

Whatever he divulged next made the boy’s face go sheet white. He attempted to recoil back, but Jones’s peculiarly strong hand held him still. Moose and Chuck didn’t know whether to help their friend or to flee the scene.

 

Betty had a feeling that if they even made a move to save their friend, the boys Sweet Pea and Fangs would pummel them into the dirt without breaking a sweat.

 

His other hand slide up, gripping Reggie’s chin. She saw his panic eyes flit in her direction before the Jones boy spoke harshly and they his attention fixated back on him once more.

 

He released his shoulder, shoving lightly and pointed to her.

 

His last words were lost to her but as soon as the greaser let his face go with a shove, Reggie didn’t even spare her a glance as he scrambled away. The two boys holding her released her shoulders so they could kick dirt and yell obscenities at his disappearing form.

 

_ That was what he was going to do? _

 

Leave her at the mercy of not one but  _ three  _ Southside Serpents.

 

Chivalry was indeed dead.

 

Jones only turned on his head to face her, kicking a small amount of dust onto his leather biker boots.

 

Her fingers curled into her palms as he strode closer and she suddenly though she might know what deer felt like as a cougar stalked toward them.

 

The blackness of his eyes had dissipated slightly, leaving them a dark quartz color. She could only stand and gawk at him.

When he noticed her anxiety his eyes softened, and he tilted his head slightly in a way that was annoyingly endearing.

 

“When are you blowing this popsicle stand, Doll?” He jerked a thumb behind him at her abandoned booth.

 

_ What? _

 

Words wouldn’t form between her lips, and when she didn’t answer he spoke again.

His voice was even sweeter this time, like a purring engine on a motorcycle.

 

“What time do you get off Darlin’?” he queried, glancing back at his two friends who were snickering quietly back and forth and pretending not to watch the two of them.

 

He had leaned closer, so much that she could smell cigarettes and spearmint on his breath. The proximity of his body forced her to take the slightest step back.

 

In a prim voice she replied, “I don’t go anywhere with people I’m not acquainted with,” she looked him up and down, “especially not hoods like you.”

 

The barb was deflected, as evidenced by the crooked smile that had formed on his face. Her comment hadn’t put him off.

 

No, not at all.

 

It had only made things more interesting.

 

Crossing her arms over her chest she shot him a frown, but she soon regretted the action as his eyes trailed down to where her breasts were being squeezed together.

 

Hurriedly she released them with a huff and placed her hands on the waist of her powder blue swing dress. He only stared at her, letting the heat of his gaze pierce her.

 

“What did you do that for?” She gestured in the direction Reggie had fled in, “Don't you know he’ll just come back again with more guys?”

 

He only shook his head and laughed before taking another drag of his shrinking cigarette. She couldn’t stop looking at the way his lips clasped around the end.

 

“Nah, I don’t think he’ll be back for a long while,” he held out a hand and waved it back and forth between their bodies, “It looks like it’s just you and me.”

 

At that she couldn’t help but crack a smile. Turning she looked pointedly at Sweet Pea and Fangs only a few feet away

 

Tracking her gaze he let him eyes rove to the pair before calmly ordering them.

 

“Fangs, Pea, get lost for a little while will you?”

 

Each looked only a little bit offended and gave Betty a look of cautious curiosity, but they both left shoulder to shoulder toward the music of carnival rides.

 

Sweet Pea called over his shoulder as they got further away, “Sure Jughead, catch ya up at the big top.”

 

And they were gone, surely to the nearest ring toss.

 

_ Wait Jughead?  _ She choked on a giggle before she could contain herself.

 

Anxiety burned its way up through her stomach into her heart.

_ Betty Cooper what are you doing? _

 

She was standing here alone with the leader of the nastiest gang in town, if not the entire state of New York.  Not even the Ghoulies would touch a King Serpent. She wanted to smack herself.

 

_ And here I am laughing at his name and calling him a criminal. _

 

Snapping her mouth shut abruptly she peered at him wide eyed and apologetic. However, there seemed to be no hard feelings as there was only a grin on his, admittedly handsome face. As he smiled she noticed for the first time that his eyes were more of a navy  blue when they were in good humor.

 

“You making fun of my name?” He leaned closer with a predatory glint in his eye.

 

Biting her lip she only gave a slight shake of her head, attempting not to look guilty.

Her denial only make his smile grow wider, revealing a set of straight, white teeth.

 

“Cause if you are I’m gonna have to ask you to make sure my boys don’t see, I’ll never live it down.”

 

At the sight of his smile she relaxed once more and smiled sweetly.

 

“I’ll be sure to do that, Jug-Head.” She said it in two syllables, studying how it felt as it rolled of her tongue.

 

Exhilaration coursed through her stomach up to the tips of her fingers.

 

What was she doing? Standing here alone with a strange gang boy with an odd name.

She was teasing a snake, sticking her hand in to the proverbial flame.

 

And judging by the way he shoved his hands into his pockets and stared at her with a smile he was sort of enjoying it.

 

They considered each other for a moment longer before he jolted forward, shooting his hand out at her, as if he suddenly remembered himself.

 

“Listen,” he scratched the back of his neck, “I’m sorry if I frightened you, was he a guy of yours or somethin’?” He trailed off.

 

“No!” She nearly yelled, “I was just closing up, I wasn’t in the mood for any more customers.” It wasn’t a lie, Betty didn’t think she could stand kissing one more soul. But she looked at Jughead and his relieved face and couldn’t help but imagine that she might have one more in her.

 

Turning around she stepped into her booth and grabbed her purse along with the full jar of quarters.

 

“I, uh, have to turn these in to Mrs. Lodge,” she explained. He only nodded and drug his worn leather shoe in the grass.

 

“I have to give it to her before I go out walking with anyone around the carnival.” She hinted.

 

Suddenly he straightened and grabbed the heavy jar from her arms before offering her his arm. Despite the leather and cloud of smoke he looked exactly like a true 18th century gentleman should.

 

The leather of his jacket was worn and soft against the crease of her elbow, and she let her fingers fiddle with on of the chilled snap buttons near his wrist as they walked.

 

As they approached the large crowd surrounding the red and white big top tent she craned her head searching for her mother, Mrs. Lodge, and Veronica, and was prepared to release the boy at the drop of a hat.

 

His voice in her ear sent a chill down her spine. “You don’t trust me doll?”

An entirely unlady like snort escaped her.

 

“First of all my name is Elizabeth,” she smiled not unkindly, “And second of all it is better for everyone if nobody I am acquainted with sees me with the likes of you and tells my mother.” She cringed a little at the thought.

 

“And thirdly….I don’t trust you as far as I can throw you Jug-Head Jones.” The words were a little harsh, but the smile as she said them softened the blow enough to placate the boy.

 

There was something charming about him that she enjoyed, and she wouldn’t lie to herself and say it didn’t give her a small amount of satisfaction that her mother would have a conniption if she ever saw her walking with a Southside Serpent.

 

The thought appealed to her greatly, but the rebellion against Alice Cooper was not what made Betty grip his leather clad arm tighter.

 

Suddenly she realized how quiet it had become between them.

 

_ Am I talking too much? Do I flirt? Just have a casual conversation? _

 

She panicked and spoke the next think that jump on her brain.

Stopping she unwrapped her arm from his and stuck out her hand.

 

“My friends call me Betty.”

 

His eyes mocked her as he stuck out his own hand and clasped it firmly in hers.

 

“Jughead Jones, my friends call me Jughead.”

 

The palm of his hand was warm, and the entirety of it dwarfed hers. Judging by its sheer size she wondered if he might be able to touch his thumb and his index finger if they ever happened to find their way around her waist.

 

The thought sent blood pulsing to her core.

 

“Why have I never seen you around here Jughead?” It was an honest question. In her life she was positive that she had never seen so much as a glance of him. At least not anywhere on the Northside. He looked older than her, but she had never been a good judge of such things. At eighteen, she learned, everybody either looked about her age or decades older or younger. There was no real in-between.

 

He pondered her query for a moment before giving a long exhale.

“I don’t leave the southside much,” he looked at her sideways, “and after I graduated I started working pretty much 24/7 in my dad’s garage and as a bartender.”

 

_ A bartender.  _ Betty had to wonder what that was like, since she had never had more than a small sip of her mother’s wine at Christmas.

 

Nodding she smiled sweetly, “I see, what brought you out of your snake hole and to our charity carnival?” They resumed their walk, ignoring the side glances from the crowd and slight sneers from a few lingering RHS football players.

 

He turned to her, brushing his shoulder to hers as they strolled.

 

“Sweet Pea go out of the

cooler earlier this week, we figured we could raise some hell and eat cotton candy to celebrate.” The image of him speeding on his motorcycle, with his leather jacket and riding boots on with a hand full of bright pink cotton candy entered her mind. But, like the sugary treat itself, the thought quickly dissolved before morphing into worry.

 

Prison? Sweet Pea had been in prison. Not juvie, or a detention center, but actual prison. She looked up at him, and scanned him closer than before.

 

_ Has he ever been to prison? How do I even ask something like that? _

 

She didn’t even know how old he was, for all she knew he could have already done five to ten years of hard time. But, it didn’t look as if he had, in fact she couldn’t place him at over twenty-five years old, if that.     

 

Pulling up short she took his bicep gently into her hands and turned his torso in her direction.

 

“How old are you Jughead? I've never seen you at school or even around town.”

 

He shrugged, “I turned twenty-two in October .”

 

_ Oh. _

 

It still surprised her, despite being in her predicted age range. He had graduated when she was still in Jr. High.

 

Quieted she moved along, as he trailed closely behind her. It is a few moment before she finds her voice again.

 

“So, Sweet Pea gets out of the cooler and you decide scaring the daylights out of Reggie Mantle is the perfect way to celebrate?” She teases.

 

At that he looked a little guilty.

 

“Gee were you on the hook for him or somethin’? Did I read it all wrong?” A hand rubbed the back of his head as he leant over to her anxiously. Sheepishly he took a little step closer to her, “Cause honestly it looked like you were planning to jump into Sweetwater River just to put another inch between the two of you.”

 

She tilted her head back and laughed heartily.

 

“Well you aren’t far off,” she gave him a grimace, “honestly Reggie has been on my case for weeks, the guy won’t take ‘no thank you’ for an answer.”

 

She shook her head, “Hopefully whatever you said will keep him at bay for a little while longer, there is only a few more days until summer vacation.”

 

A darkness shrouded his face once more, and Betty could see a small edge of cruelty in his eyes once more. His lips curled as they spoke, “You won’t have to worry about him for awhile,” he paused, “actually probably ever.”

 

She recalled the petrified look on Reggie’s face as Jughead had spoken to him.

 

Pulling her gaze to him she shrugged, “You didn’t have to do that, I mean Reggie is a… jerk, but he’s pretty harmless.”

 

Nodding he let his free hand brush down and graze hers. When he spoke his eyes burned holes into her.

 

“I know, but Mantle needs to be put in his place every once in a while.” His gaze turned dark once more as he opened his mouth again. “Besides he knows that I don’t bluff when it comes to threats.”

 

She could only nod before his face brightened once more and she was able to admire the way his lips pulled over his teeth into a genuine smile as they walked past the small Ferris wheel to Mrs. Lodge who was tapping her foot and looking very impatient for their arrival.

 

Hurriedly she grabbed the jar and thanked the blonde before making her way off to the big top tent. However Betty did not miss the woman catching Jughead’s face and giving it a look of despise. The boy only winked at her and let a hand card through his ink black hair.

 

_ Could he at least try not to act like such a hoodlum? _

 

The silver switchblade, with its gleaming handle came forward to her mind. It was lethal, and shiny like it had been polished with great care. She wondered if he had ever actually used it on anyone. The thought stuck with her, but not for much longer as his warm hand gripped hers and pulled her towards the turning wheel at the center of the festivities.

 

As they arrived at the ticket gate she was surprised as he summoned two blue and gold tickets from deep within the denim pocket of his jeans. 

 

He helped her into the swaying seat, holding her hand a bit longer than necessary, before sliding in after her and giving the operator a jerk of his head.

 

Peering over the edge she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The palms of her hands were slick with sweat and she couldn’t keep her knee from bouncing.

 

Unfortunately for her Jughead couldn’t resist commenting on her obvious anxiety.

 

“Are you afraid of heights Betty?” he was teasing her but she didn’t want him to know how close to the truth he actually was.

 

“No just cold.” She lied, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning further down into the carriage.

 

Suddenly she felt herself slide closer and closer to the boy as he wrapped a warm arm around her and tugged her close, nestling her into him. The zipper on his jacket was cold on her bare skin, but it wasn’t really what made her shiver.

 

They remained that way for the length of the ride. The lights twinkled below them and people filtered all around. They were bystanders, watching the world pass by. And in that moment Betty couldn’t imagine being a part of any crowd or show that put her anywhere else other than Jughead's chest. She could feel his heart beating behind her in a steady rhythm, the antithesis to her own fluttering pulse.

 

It never ceased its hummingbird beats, even as they disembarked the ride and Jughead twined their hands together before hauling her off to a cotton candy stand. As Betty’s luck would have it was currently graced with the presence of Veronica and Archie. They stood their, curled into each other with a large glob of cotton candy in each of their hands. The raven haired girl saw Betty first, leading her to drop the remainder of the treat and grip Betty’s arm.

 

“Hey B, we were just thinking about heading to--” She stopped as she took in the shadowy figure behind her. Looking down she took in their hands, fingers entwined, and their flushed faces.

 

Shocked, she peered at Betty but said nothing more.

Archie, on the other hand surprised Betty by sticking his hand out toward Jughead.

 

“Hey Jughead, it's been a while.” His tone was respectful, if not a little cautious.

 

Jughead nodded, and Betty was struck, realizing that by the respect in Archie’s voice and his recognition that they had probably known each other for a while.

 

Veronica only stood there, attempting to catch Betty’s eye. There was a beat of silence as the boys considered each other. Thankfully Veronica broke the silence with a sweet voice.

 

“Won’t you introduce me Archiekins?”

 

He nodded, coming back into himself, “I- yeah of course Ronnie, this is Jughead Jones,” he was nervous, Betty could tell, “His dad used to work with my dad down at the construction office.”

 

Jughead nodded stiffly, gripping Betty’s fingers a little tighter. She watched him appraise Archie, not glaring but intimidating enough as he did it.

 

Suddenly he released her hand, only to slide it around her waist and pull her closer to him. She could smell a mixture of soap and cigarettes on his white crew neck shirt.

 

“Betts and I are headed to the Big Top if you want to join us.” He lied, he knew he was making Archie squirm.

 

Immediately Archie finds an excuse for himself, seeming content to get as far away from the biker as possible, much to the chagrin of Veronica who was pinning Betty with her eyes.

 

Betty only gave a shrug of nonchalance that would have sent her mother into hysterics. Veronica only stared into her harder before pulling her hand up to her ear and mouthing ‘call me later’.

 

Distracted, Betty nodded to her as her companion leaned down to her ear. His lips were so close that she could feel not only his breath, but the soft skin of his lips on her earlobe.

 

“It looks like your little friends are afraid some kind of hoodlums are gonna get you.”

 

Smiling she nodded, “I don’t see anybody around here like that, do you?”

 

He breathed a laugh that tickled her ear and pulled her so that she her back was pressed completely to his firm body.

 

“I’m afraid I have seen one, and it looks like I already got you.”

 

Her knees buckled slightly and a light chill wrought over her body. She turned her head up from his lips so that she could look at his face.

 

He was trouble, she knew it, he knew it, and judging by the looks that everyone was giving the two of them, everyone else knew it too.

 

A small part of her hated that she was falling into every cliché that there ever was. The good girl going with a greaser boy. People would speculate that she was merely going through a phase, attempting to give her poor dear mother a heart attack.

 

_ Soon little Betty Cooper will be all grown up _ , they would say _ , she’ll get right on track and start courting nice young men just like Polly. _

 

Her family, the people in their church, in their neighborhood had been saying those things practically since she started talking to boys.

 

It brought her back to when her and Veronica had first become friends. Ronnie had been a disgraced socialite, struck down from New York to begin a new life in Riverdale from scratch with her ambitious mother.

 

Betty was sure she never had a true friend until Veronica had walked into her life. Betty helped her soften to the Riverdale lifestyle, while the dark haired girl ensured that Betty didn’t let life pass her by completely.

 

Summer was about to start and it was becoming glaringly obvious that she was going to spend it just as she had all the previous ones. She would let it pass her by and start her Senior year just as she had all of the others.

 

She stared at him, long enough that he raised a hand to ruffle the back of his inky hair.

 

He pulled out a small carton and lighter from his pocket, “Do you mind?”

 

Shaking her head she smiled.

 

_ Do I make him nervous? _

 

“Have you ever done this before Jughead?”

 

He gave her a confused glance as he held the lighter carefully to the end of the cigarette.

 

“Have you ever properly courted a girl?

 

He choked on smoke, sending him into a fit of gasps and coughs.

 

“Ah, no Miss Cooper, I have not,” at her quizzical look he continued, “greaser girls don’t tend to go for that kind of thing if you know what I mean.”

 

_ Oh. _

 

She couldn’t fight a little surge of jealousy. He was older than her, it shouldn’t have surprised her that he’d been with other women. Plus he was highly ranked within the Serpents, and with power came a lot of perks.  

 

“Here I was thinking I was cool as a cucumber,” he took a long drag, “But all the while Miss Betty Cooper could see right through me.”

 

She ducked her head and flicked the end of her ponytail at him. It surprised her when his slender fingers wrapped gently around the end of it, winding into the silky softness of her hair.

 

He toyed with it for a moment before letting the pad of his finger trace her cheekbone. It was a feather touch, so light that she closed her eyes to enjoy the sensation.

 

When they opened again she found his eyes mere inches away from her. He let his finger drag from her dimples to the soft skin of her clavicle as her blush disappeared down the collar of her dress.

 

Suddenly, as if he had been burned he jerked the tantalizing hand away, much to her displeasure.

 

Apologies rolled off of his tongue in a flurry. Peeking at him she saw guilt on his face, like that of a child that had just been caught doing something strictly forbidden, but it was mixed with something else akin to stubborness.

 

It was easy for her to see he was embarrassed as he turned away to look at the carousel and vendors before taking a long drag. The crowd pulsed and wove through the trampled grass. It was a good summer night, if not a little chilly, but these were the nights she was looking forward to. Before Archie was around, Veronica and her would have sleepovers, go to the drive-in, and hang out at the dance hall.

 

A feeling of deep loneliness crept over her. When it was her and Ronnie together she’d never really felt like she was missing anything, but her solitude had become more and more obvious as the summer months crept nearer. Now, here she was, a permanent third wheel, forced to endure blind dates with Ronnie and Archie, or awkward pauses in the backseat of their car as the two of them canoodled on their way to the usual hang out spots.

 

Her mother was no help, almost enforcing her friendlessness with the authority of a war admiral.

 

“ _ That Archibald is a cad,” _ she would say,  _ “And that Lodge girl, much too loose.” _

_ “Why don’t you hang out with Jason’s sister? She seems like a nice girl.” _

 

At that point Betty would do all she could to tune out the continuing of the conversation and watch Polly nod eagerly in agreement, all while twirling her glittering engagement ring.

 

A Senior in high school to be married to the one and only Jason Blossom, heir to an unimaginable family fortune.

 

Betty liked the guy just fine, but she did not enjoy how her entire family harped on about him every waking moment.

 

_ “Have you seen the venue him and Polly are planning on?” _

 

_ “Oh they will have the most beautiful children, won’t they Elizabeth?” _

 

Even Cheryl who was forced to accompany the Cooper and Blossom clans on such occasions seemed to be sick of the conversation.

 

It wasn’t like they were the best of friends but even Cheryl wouldn’t wish those family gatherings on anybody. Plus Betty was sure she was getting the same conversations at home from Penelope as she was from her own mother.

 

In just one more year she would be expected to settle down with a husband, pop out 2.5 kids, and live her life as a perfect housewife to some faceless man who would doubtlessly never care if she had a single intelligent thought in her head.

 

That being said, she wasn’t a quitter and she certainly wasn’t going to be lulled into complacency quite yet. Her youth had not passed her by and her mother was already on the verge of engaging her to the next eligible bachelor in Riverdale, so she hadn’t much left to lose.

 

She didn’t know Jughead Jones very well just yet. But she could tell that he was fun, and that was something she wasn’t sure she’d had in a long while, if at all in her life. Hands shaking, uncontrolled giggles, dancing in the rain, running from the police  _ fun _ .

 

Well perhaps not the last one, but the element of danger did appeal to her. In a way it always had, but she’d never acted on it.

 

Jughead was everything she didn’t know she’d been looking for. 

 

_ I can’t let this slip away  _ she thought as the image of him sliding his finger down her neck came to her mind.

 

He had faced away from her since the incident, puffing smoke and doing what Betty could best describe as brooding.

 

Impulsively she reached out, finding the warm hand that hung limp in the space between the two of them. Gripping it she turned it over in her palms, tracing the creases and calluses. They were nice hands, she couldn’t help but admire them. They had no doubt seen their fair share of manual labor, but they still retained an elegance to them. Those fingers could pluck the strings on a violin or play the most beautiful piano melodies.

 

They were clever fingers, made for toying and teasing.

Her face was hot once again, and she could feel him watching her cautiously.

 

He said nothing as she let her nails drag lightly over the soft skin on the back, but she saw a small shudder run through him. She continued up until her fingers were tucked under the sleeve and completely hidden. As she pushed it up she felt him stiffen. There was a tattoo, large and green of a winding two headed serpent. Each head had its own crown seated on the top, an undeniable display of his ranking within the gang.

 

She trace it for a moment, before covering it with the palm of her hand and looking up at him, wide eyed and hopeful.

 

“Do you wanna get out of here?”

 

In a blur he gripped her wrist, wrapping his hand so that his thumb and index finger touched. He looked at her,  _ really  _ looked at her before putting on a devil’s smile.

 

“Hell yes.”

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------

  
  


“No, absolutely not.” Blood rushed in her ears and her palms had started to feel slick.

 

_ Okay, rebellion is over rated. _

 

“C’mon babe, it’s a short trip it won’t kill you.”

Smirking he patted the leather seat behind him.

 

Here eyes flashed as she paced around the bike for the hundredth time.

 

“I’m wearing a dress.” Her voice was flat.

 

Mischief bubbled within him as he reached for her as she came around the handle bars once more and pulled her close.

 

His teeth were at her ear, soft with devilish promises.

 

“Then I’ll go slow.”  

 

She shoved him away half-heartedly.

Scoffing she acquiesced, holding her hand out for support as she tried and failed to swing her leg over.

 

He was jumpy, they weren’t’ in a hurry per-say but they had wove through the crowd to the parking lot fairly quickly. Of course this had not been done without passing by Veronica and Archie who had just one a life size stuffed animal from a ring toss. The look her best friend had shot her as the two of them hurried by had her wanting to explain everything then and there.

 

Veronica had flicked her eyes over the back of Jughead before glancing at Betty with one eyebrow raised and a knowing smile on her lips.

 

_ Betty Cooper you harlot! _

 

Unfortunately her pain hadn’t ended there. They hadn’t even been fortunate enough to  avoid ribbing from Fangs and Sweet Pea as they left, both of which wolf whistled as they walked off.

 

Now, she stood in front of a roaring motorcycle and was seriously beginning to question her life decisions. Hesitation had taken hold of her, and a Chevy Bel-Air was looking very appealing, even if it did belong to Reggie Mantle.

 

It rumbled from beneath him like a sleeping dragon, dangerous and anxious for freedom. It taunted her and she knew she had to do this not only for the girl she had been so far, but for the woman she knew she could become. Fearless, independent, and strong. All she had to do was get on the damn bike.

 

She gripped his hand one more, noting the excitement glistening in his eyes. The engine purred and she could feel the power as she daintily swung her leg over.

 

The tip of her saddle shoes barely grazed the ground on the opposite side, forcing her to cling to the back of him for balance. Using her other hand she smoothed the skirt of her dress down to attempt to maintain a small semblance of modesty.

 

Like a cat she clung to the leather seat, digging her nails in as hard as she could in preparation.

 

The bike did not move. She saw Jughead heave out an exhausted sigh.

 

“Not to offend your delicate sensibilities Betty, but your gonna have to hold onto something else,” she squeezed the leather harder, “and honestly for both our sakes I’d prefer it was me.”

 

Suddenly two hands reached behind him, gripping her bare knees and roughly scooting her forward so that she was flush against him.

 

The tender skin on the inside of her knees was teased by the seam of his faded jeans and she couldn’t help but seek out the sensation. A scorching hand traced the skin of her calf that was wrapped around his hip. It left a trail of heat and she had to force herself into silence as he let his thumb trace a bit higher to the gap above her knee.

 

“That’s more like it, I’d hate for you to fall off.”

 

She let out a shaky laugh, “Just drive Jones.”

 

Air rushed by her ears and suddenly the asphalt that she had toed with the tip of her shoe became a blur. A sea of black was spread before her as she clung to the boy in front of her.

 

It really should have frightened her but she only squeezed him tighter, earning a low grunt and a hard acceleration. The surrounding lights of the festival morphed into nothing more than the soft monocolor background of nighttime. Fright was not what coursed through her body in this moment, even as they pushed faster down the road and her dress had started to rise higher and higher as it caught in the wind.

 

The air around her seemed to fill with a combustible energy and it felt as if she were about to take off and burst into nothing but a small bit of stardust. In that moment, with the trees speeding by her, and her arms wrapped around Jughead’s warm body she figured she’d be happier for it. 

 

The heat coursed through her veins making her laugh, a maniacal thing that only served to send Jughead’s shoulder shaking and prompt him to lean the two of them forward, close to the seat and rev the engine making it echo off of the emptiness around them. 

 

When street lights finally came into view and Betty immediately knew they were stopping at the one and only Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe.

 

As they rolled to a stop she adjusted the bottom of her dress that had unceremoniously flipped up during their tryst down the highway. The attempt she made at salvaging her hair had not gone quite as well and remedying the tangled mess turned out to be futile. 

 

This was much to her displeasure and her companions amusement. 

 

His own dark hair had been swept back from his face. The product that had been so meticulously applied to keep it in style had long lost its hold. She could spy the longer parts flopping over to the side and longer areas in the back threatening to curl over the tops of his ears. 

 

Stepping into Pop’s they are greeted by a sea of empty booths illuminated by neon lights. It seems that everyone is still enjoying the festivities elsewhere, leaving the diner practically vacant apart from Pop himself and Phyllis, the elderly waitress. 

 

His hand brushes gently on the small of her back as he guides her to a booth in the far corner. The vinyl seats are cool on the bare skin of her legs, giving her a light shiver as she seats herself. The chilliness did not last long however, because as soon as she’d scooted to the end another body had joined in right next to her. The two of them sat for a moment, thigh to thigh, arm to arm.

 

As Phyllis hobbled up Betty took note of her hair that was pulled up into a magnificently tall beehive. It was graying and a far cry from the dark beauty it had once been, but was charming all the same. The woman had frequently confided in Betty that once upon a time she was ‘quite the looker’, to which Pop had nodded in confirmation

 

She gave a matronly smile to Betty before turning to Jughead and smiling even wider. It looked like she wanted to pinch his cheek. 

“What can I get you two kids?”

 

Gum smacked in her mouth as she tapped her pen on the notepad she procured from her apron pocket. 

 

“A double bacon burger with an extra side of fries, an order of onion rings, and two vanilla milkshakes.” 

 

Betty gawked, and noted Phyllis’s complete lack of surprise.

 

The woman turned her gaze onto her. 

“And for you Miss Betty?” she tilted her head. 

 

“Just a strawberry milkshake, thanks.” She nodded and waddled off, leaving the two of them in silence. 

 

She looked at him and had to smother a laugh. His dark, brooding air contrasted so ridiculously with the bright and peppy atmosphere of Pop’s. He was darkness in a body, keeping company in the bright sweetness of the diner. Not that she was used to traipsing around town with boys of questionable character, but she had at least expected Phyllis to be a little concerned for her. However it seemed that she recognized the Serpent Prince. 

 

“Do you come here often?” She leaned to his ear, “Phyllis didn’t seem too shocked that you eat enough for three.” A smile had formed on her face as she spoke in jest. 

 

He nodded after a moment of contemplation, and leaned on the backrest while draping an arm over her shoulder. It didn’t quite touch her but she could have sworn she could feel heat radiating off of him. 

 

“Sometimes the boys order out, other times it's me or my dad,” he snorted, “Even on the southside we know good food when we taste it.”

 

Betty nodded silently in agreement. 

 

“Pop agreed not to make a fuss about having gang members in the shoppe as long as we agreed to take out and not have more than a couple of us in here at a time. He didn’t want any rumbles breaking out in here and so far it's worked.” He remarked thoughtfully. 

 

“To be fair the Ghoulies aren’t even allowed on the property,” he gave her a lopsided grin, “anyway Phyllis is the one who usually carries out for us, and believe me she's lectured me on my eating habits more than a few times.”

 

The door chimes behind the two of them and she can feel Jughead stiffen, muscles tense and strung tight. Looking back he relaxes as soon as he sees its only a few stragglers coming in for a quick bite. 

 

She catches his eye and immediately recognizes the look. It was one that she’d seen on many greasers, both Serpents and Ghoulies, and on just as many Riverdale jocks. 

 

It was the look that said,  _ “I am the scariest thing you will ever meet, so don’t even fucking think about messing with me”. _

 

It was a survival tactic, one that she’d seen in action numerous times.

 

But on Jughead it was different.

 

On him she actually  _ believed _ it. 

 

Despite their brief acquaintance she had no issue believing he could back up the image he put off to the world. Being a Northsider she had never seen the gory violence that ran rampant on the southside, but she’d heard of it on the news. And if she didn’t hear it on the news she heard it in the hallways. Slowly, the gangs, the violence, the rumbles, Serpents, Ghoulies, Northsiders, had all started to bleed together in the past year. The lines had blurred. A fight would happen at the drive-in, or a kid would get mugged outside of Riverdale High. 

 

She couldn’t blame him for not being at ease in what technically was her territory. Certainly not with the possibility of any Northsiders catching him when he had no back up.

 

Quickly their food arrived, and Betty witnessed the true modern marvel that was the stomach of Jughead Jones.. 

 

As she sipped her milkshake Jughead seemed to believe it a swell time to put her in the hot seat. He asked her about her sister, about school, her mother, and even about her friendship with Veronica. She answered the best she could, leaving some of the nastier things about her mother and her opinions on her dating life and the south side. 

 

Soon their conversation turned to him.

 

She’d already known he was quite intelligent, that had been obvious from the start. Now she was learning and listening to him talk about his writing and how he worked on motorcycles as a job. It was the writing that particularly sparked her interest. The way he talked about it had her enraptured. He was passionate about it, and despite his roughness there was a sincerity and softness as he spoke. 

 

His father was not something he touched on as much, which immediately prompted her to back off the subject, but she could tell that he cared about him deeply. 

 

“My old man’s gonna retire soon, and make way for a new generation of Serpents,” he snorted and leaned into her, “Whatever that means.”

 

_ A new generation. Like a family business.  _ She thought. 

 

He was talking about himself. 

 

It was odd to think about, and she wasn’t sure in this moment if it worried her or excited her that he was going to be crowned the next Serpent King. He was a man, and at 22 there was no real reason for his father to delay it any longer. It couldn’t be an easy job, even if their saying was true. 

 

_ Venom is Thicker Than Blood,  _ the Serpents didn’t only follow the code, they lived by it. She didn’t have to see his body to know what would undoubtedly be stamped on his forearm. A constant reminder that if the Serpents were behind him it didn’t matter if he had a family or an unpleasant past, he was theirs. He was just lucky enough that the lines of Serpent membership and familial loyalty were closely intertwined. 

 

As he continued she noticed the affection in which he spoke about Sweet Pea and Fangs, who he’d explained had been his best friends since he was a child. A girl, Toni, he said was like a sister to him, and was the bartender of the Serpent owned bar called the Whyte Wyrm. 

 

The idea of a girl, nearly her own age, bartending for a group of gang members and gruff bikers both scandalized her and intrigued her. 

 

She noticed another tattoo on the inside of his index finger as he twirled the straw in his second milkshake. It was oval shaped, and had two small letters inside it. Noticing her stare he brought it up to her. 

 

“It's a jellybean” she nodded, “It got it for my sister.”

 

It wasn’t as faded as the tip of the serpent tattoo she’d seen peeking down his forearm. 

It was more recent, fresher. 

 

“Where’d you get it?”

 

His face morphed into a dark cold thing but he answered her, “Toni inked me after I got out of the clink last year.” 

 

She controlled her expression into a soft smile and absently sipped her own shake.

It shouldn’t have surprised her as much as it did. He had to be older than Sweet Pea and he had just told her they were celebrating his not so brief stint in the county jail. Still, he didn’t seem like the prison type, or at least the type to let himself get caught. 

 

To be a Serpent King, a Basilisk he had to be the toughest of them all, the hardest bastard to walk the streets of Riverdale. 

 

She was smart enough not to ask what landed him in their, but a smothering shyness crawled over her as she scanned the ink on his finger and dragged her eyes to the sliver of green peeking at the cuff of his jacket. 

 

He smirked at her hesitance, before rolling up the sleeve, exposing the artwork that lay beneath. 

 

The snake heads were poised to kill, and each had bone white fangs dripping with venom. The detail on the scales amazed her, the person who had done it had certainly been a master of their art. 

 

Without meaning to she stroked the head of the serpent, admiring the exquisite coloring. A shiver wracked through him and she nearly pulled her hand back in fear as his silver tongue made heat flow through her once more. 

 

“If you like this one, you’ll love the others,” teeth lightly nipped at the shell of her ear, “Unfortunately it would scandalize poor Phyllis if I showed you right now.”

She couldn’t help craning her neck closer to his warm breath. With the soft skin exposed in such a vulnerable way she heard him huff and adjust his legs slightly. 

 

They only broke apart as Phyllis practically slammed their ticket on the table with a disapproving look in her eye and an obvious clearing of her throat. 

 

They stifled their giggles and paid the check before vacating the table.

 

“Looks like we overstayed our welcome Betts, where are we gonna go to get in trouble now?”

 

It sounded like a simple jest, but Betty could see it for what it truly was. 

 

An invitation. The ball was in her court, and she knew that other than giving her a ride home to ensure her safety he would not press his presence on her any longer than she wanted. 

 

She glanced at the clock hanging on the wallpaper. Polly and her parents wouldn’t be finished cleaning and closing up the carnival for another hour. It was a close call, but she couldn’t deny herself one rare moment of freedom, without the prying eyes of her classmates, or the bible-thumping chastization of her mother. 

 

“We should go to my house.”

 

She had meant for it to sound sweet and flirty, but she saw his face crumble slightly.

 

“Yea sure I’ll drop you home.” He headed toward the door and revved the bike. 

 

This time he didn’t speed. They drove silently through what little traffic there was until they reached her quiet street. He stopped in front of her crimson door, but didn’t make a move to get off of the vibrating bike. 

 

He helped her off and she stood, staring at him with a teasing smile on her lips.

She quirked an eyebrow, “Well will you at least walk me to the door?”

 

Peeking at her through the corner of his eye he nodded in acquiescence before killing the engine and popping the kickstand. 

 

He lingered behind her as she stepped up onto the porch and tilted up a flower pot for the door key. 

 

The sound of a throat clearing turned her gaze toward him as she pushed it into the door. 

 

He swayed back on his heels. 

 

_ Surely he doesn’t think I'll leave him out here. _

 

Her hand beckoned him closer, but he hung back.

Had she hurt his feelings? 

 

From what Veronica had told her and based on the magazines they poured over, the guy was supposed to be the one to make the first move for a kiss goodnight. 

 

Not that Betty was one to keep with tradition completely, but it seemed now that he almost didn’t want to be in her presence a moment longer. 

 

He seemed to be waging some form of inner battle as she nodded to him and smiled as politely as she could force her face to be. 

 

“Well, uh, goodnight Jughead.” 

 

Disappointed she turned to let herself inside, but halted as she felt something small and cool being pressed into her palm.

 

Holding her breath she turned it over. 

 

The quarter was worn, and by no means a gem but she couldn’t contain a smile as she turned it in her fingers.

 

He was more hesitant than she’d seen him all night. She had to wonder where the confident gang leader within him had gone. 

 

“Would you consider going on the clock for a moment longer?”

 

He looked anxious, perhaps thinking he’d offended her.

 

How wrong he was, she considered as a smile crawled onto her face.

Turning the key she pushed the door open. 

 

“Only if you’ll come in and make it worth my while.”

 

He moved faster than she could think. They stood halfway in the door as he grabbed her face and held her to his mouth. Her hands clawed at him, struggling to find purchase and pull him closer to her. 

 

A groan welled in his throat as her fingers found his hair and she tugged lightly.

 

Then they were moving. He urged her backward into the darkness of the house, leading only with his body and the feeling of the walls as he grappled around with his hands.

 

And like the true vixen she was, she trip over the threshold to her own house.

 

She couldn’t fall of course, not with the tight grip he had on her waist, but she still managed to knock over the wrought iron umbrella stand her mother insisted on having.

 

He steadied her with a laugh, then bent down to kiss her once more. Her hands worked on his jacket, tugging it so it was sliding down his arms, trapping them behind is back. When he finally escaped the leather was flung to what she figured was the staircase.  Using the heel of his dirt covered boot he shut the door behind them with a ‘click’.

A smirk came to Betty’s face. 

 

_ We wouldn’t want to scandalize the neighbors. _

 

She entertained the idea for a moment, her neighbors peeking outside their windows and front doors only to see her being ravaged by some biker gang member. 

 

He picked her up, sliding his hands to her rear and sandwiched her between him and the wall.

 

The combination of the wallpaper behind her and the fact that he was the only thing pinning her to it jolted her.

 

This was new territory.

 

She’d made out before, done some necking on Sweetwater Ridge. But that had been before Trev moved away.

 

This was different.

 

If kissing Trev was a burning candle, then this was a raging inferno.

 

Dark ink peeked at his collar and wrapped around his neck tracing down to his shoulder blade. She stared at it for a moment trying to make out the shape.

 

Without thinking she leaned forward and bit at the skin. He stiffened against her before devouring the skin beneath her ear.

 

“If you do that shit again. I won’t be responsible for what I do next.” He promised to her and darkness fell over his eyes as he looked at her with predator intent.

 

She could only wrap her legs tighter around him.

He ignored her protests as he displaced her from the wall.. 

 

Her body was transferred to the dining room table. The painstakingly primped centerpiece and shining utensils clattered to the ground as he set her on it.

 

It hardly registered, the sound of metal ringing against the hardwood. Mainly because she was focused on the hand that started slowly tracing up her inner thigh. Clever fingers teased the soft skin in small circles and she felt her nipples harden.

 

She knew the pleasure that was coming.

 

Despite what her mother and nearly every citizen of Riverdale thought, she wasn’t a virgin.

 

Of course she wasn’t experienced by any means. She’d only ever been with Trev twice. Once to get it over with and once to see exactly what the fuss was about.

 

She had loved Trev and it had been an intimate experience and it was fondly remembered.

 

The small bit of pain, the brief pleasure, and their sweet affection for one another.

 

Their love had been elementary, pure even. She trusted him immensely and even now when he visited from upstate they would stop and grab lunch.

 

Eventually they’d come to the same conclusion. They loved each other, but they were not  _ in  _ love.

 

What they’d had was a sweet, slow, romance with kisses on the cheek, flowers, and strolls in Pickens Park.

 

It was hard for her not to compare their affection for to each other to her situation now.

 

Jughead was on a whole other level. They weren’t even playing the same game.

 

Jughead invades her senses, surrounded her with his presence. He breached the boundaries of her being without even trying.

 

Heat throbbed in her core and her breasts felt heavy as they heaved. Slick need pooled between her legs and she could could the beats of her heart in her ears.

 

Without warning he pulled back just as the pads of his fingers reach her panty line. She glanced at him, startled.

 

He seemed to be debating with himself as he toyed with the edge of the cloth.

 

It took her a breathe to realize he was giving her another chance to change her mind, to stop if she wanted. 

 

She only pulled him close as she laid down on the table. He tweaked her peaked breasts through the thin cotton of her dress and leaned down to let his teeth graze the stiff buds.

 

Then without further warning his hand strayed just inside her underwear to her core.

 

He growled at it before hissing through his teeth, “Are you all soaked just for me?” He asked as he let a finger stroke her gently. 

The small circles he made around her most sensitive nerves was an aching, silent promise.

 

He grinned as her legs shook and her eyes threatened to roll back.

 

Those hands tethered her to him, kept her from floating away as she keened to him and splayed her arms above her head.

 

“You are so fucking beautiful.” He crooned, and she believed it because as the words flew from his mouth a long finger dipped between her fold and crooked at the knuckle.

 

It made her gasp and lift her hips until she was grinding to his hand.

 

“That’s it, take what you need,” he purred to her ear.

A thumb joined in, flicking her bundle of nerves gently.

 

She was a madwoman, swiveling her hips and shouting as he added an additional digit.

 

They stroked in and out as he spoke, “I saw you staring at my fingers,” she clenched around him, 

“Were you thinking about what I could do to you?” 

 

Gasping, she clawed at the table then at his wrist. And when she didn’t answer he removed his hand, making her moan at the loss.

 

There was a mess on the table where she had dripped onto it. As well as on his hands, she noticed as he brought the two fingers to his lips and watched her as he cleaned them with his mouth.

 

Air didn’t seem to be reaching her lungs fast enough as he knelt down and yanked her to the edge of the table.

 

_ This  _ was entirely foreign to her, Trev had never….

 

A hot tongue traced the skin for her knee to the flesh of her inner thigh. He stopped there for a moment and she could see his dark head bob up and down as he nuzzled the skin.

 

And before she could comprehend what he was doing, he bit down on the tender flesh. It was not enough to bleed, but enough to leave a dark bruise and elicit a groan from her.

 

He was marking her, so that later when she felt a twinge or saw it in a mirror she would remember that he had been between her thighs.

 

After sucking at the mark he slid his mouth to the apex of her heat, swirling his tongue and gnawing ever so lightly on the pearl at the top. 

 

Grabbing his hair she locked her hips to his mouth bucked. Her legs trapped him, locking at his ears.

 

She would feel him smile against her at her wreckless need.

 

“Ah, oh god,” her hips stuttered as he flicked his tongue at her, “oh, Jug.” Lapping at her he inserted a finger once more. But he seemed to be waiting on something.

 

He kept her there on the tip of the edge, intending to keep her there until he was appeased.

 

Frustrated she looked down at him as his mouth worked on her. His eyes were locked on her own, watching her as he teased and suckled her.

 

She knew what he wanted now.

 

_ That’s it, look at me while I make you fall apart. _

 

The intensity made her eyes fall away causing him to revert back to an agonizing pace.

 

It was a game.

 

If she was going to get release she would have to watch him bring her there.

 

So she did.

 

He curled his fingers and sucked on her clit just right and the world faded away. Her body shook and curled as she ground against his face and clenched around his fingers.

 

Her hands wove through his hair, helping her stay in her body as he coaxed another release from her.

 

The heaving of her chest slowed down as she cooled off. Wiping her juiced from his mouth he stood in front of her.

 

It felt like she was a wind up doll that had been pulled so tight for so long and she’d finally been released all at once. 

 

Shyness took over once more and she flipped her dress down and hopped onto the ground from the tabletop.

 

She ignored his throaty laugh as she wobbled on her legs.

 

Leaning against the table she caught her breathe. The corner of his mouth pulled up into a self satisfied smile. She reached for the buckle of his belt, meaning to pull it apart, but was stopped by his hands. 

 

“Not tonight babe, I think we are gonna have company soon.” 

 

Her head snapped up in panic, and she glanced at the clock hanging by the staircase. It had been nearly an hour since the carnival had closed and her family would be home any minute. 

 

“Damn it.” She muttered and walked to the front window to peek out of the blinds. 

 

A rustling sound echoed behind her and she saw Jughead had shrugged back into his jacket and had started cleaning up the mess they had made. 

 

They tidied up in record time, even with the brief interruptions of them coming together for a passionate kiss. She all but shoved him out the door with her mouth pressed to his. 

 

The quarter he’d given her was tucked safely down the bodice of her dress and she could feel the imprint of it on her skin as she pulled him into a tight hug. 

 

The bike roared to life as he kicked it on once more. Straddling it, he looked back at her with serious eyes and pulled her in placing a kiss on her lips. This time his tongue traced her bottom lip, prodding and teasing. 

 

He tasted good, like spearmint and smoke. 

 

Pulling back she smiled at the serious expression on his face. It was fleeting, but she saw it before it left him and was replaced by a real smile. 

 

“So what  _ are  _ you gonna do all summer?” He tilted his head closer to her, grinning wide enough for his teeth to show and the corners of his eyes to crinkle.

Gazing up at him she pondered the question.

 

He looked at her as she thought about it. Those navy eyes twinkled, as if they knew every secret she ever had and intended to find out even more. Those lips, she was sure, could charm and sweet talk their way in or out of anything.

 

An enigma wrapped in a riddle, that is what Jughead Jones was. He was made to be twisted, turned, and solved. Blinking lazily she looked at him, really looked at him.

 

And in that moment she knew exactly what she wanted to do all summer.

 

After all, riddles were made to be solved and Betty wasn’t one to turn down a challenge.

 

Only a few seconds after he disappeared around the corner her parents pulled into the driveway. She was still standing there, watching the exhaust from his bike disappear into the night. 

 

Her mother’s voice cut through the air, “Elizabeth what are you doing in the front yard?” she gasped, “Are you barefoot, what happened to your hair?”

 

Ignoring the rapid questions she smiled at where his bike was only moments before. 

 

_ It appears that it is he, who has turned my day into night.  _

 

**Author's Note:**

> The poem is Robert Browning’s “A Light Woman”
> 
> Even though nobody asked here is a playlist for Part 1:
> 
> Blue Moon by The Marcels  
> Under the Boardwalk by The Drifters  
> Shake, Rattle, and Roll by Bill Haley & His Comets  
> Hound Dog by Elvis Presley  
> Love Is Strange (The Buddy Holly acoustic version)  
> Please Mr. Postman by The Marvelettes  
> Video Games by Lana Del Rey  
> Devil In Disguise by Elvis Presley  
> Rave On by Buddy Holly  
> Finger Poppin’ Time by Hank Ballard  
> This Magic Moment by The Drifters  
> This Is How It’s Going Down by Shayne Burke  
> Dream A Little Dream Of Me by Ella Fitzgerald  
> Radio by Lana Del Rey  
> National Anthem by Lana Del Rey  
> Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer  
> Earth Angel by The Penguins  
> Can’t Take My Eyes Off You by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons  
> Everyday by Buddy Holly  
> Jack and Diane by John Mellencamp  
> Wildwood Flower by Johnny Cash   
> The Night We Met by Lord Huron   
> The Way You Do The Things You Do by The Temptations


End file.
